Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-09-22

| u,
] hit on myself an ,shure / knew more
about chimneys than any one else il
the place. Twas getting late. too;
there wouldn't be much more than an
other half-hour of daylight, an the
wind was rsing-I could hear it whistl-
ing through the trees. By this time
people knew what had happened, an g
crowd was collecting; could see them
see them coming from all parts. for of
course had view all about / saw a
boy 60 up to the door of the counting
house, an presently Master Phillip
came out, running as if for his life.
When he came he took the command
like, an began giving directions; an
the people, who had only stared at first
now ran here and there as he sent them.
First they brought out long ladder,
an fixed it on the roof below the Chin
mey. could lIave told them that twas
too short, knowing as did the length
of every ladder in the place but some
how. though | heard their shouts plain
ly, could not make them hear mine;
it seemed rs if the voices went up, like
smoke. Then there was a great delay,
while they went for a longer ladder;
and this, too, didn't reach half way.
A man climed up it. however, an call
cd out to know had a bit of string in
my pocket that could let down. Not
bit could find. had had a big ball
only the day before, but | had taken it
out an put it on shelf at home. l
took off my braces, and fastened them
an my pocket handkerchief together;
but they didn't near reach the top of
the ladder so that plan had to be given
| up.
| Ali this time the wind was rising
an was getting numb with the cold
an stiff an cramped from being so
long in the one post on. There was u
big clock right over the gateway just
opposite, an | saw that it only wanted
20 minutes to five; an once the dark.
ness set in what little hope | had would
be gone.
Master Philip seemed to have gone
away by this time, but there was my
father among the crowd; an VIII
should see. standing next to him, an
holding on by his arm, but Katie!
They had forgotten everything but
the fright about one, an he seemed to
he talking to her, an comforting her.
After bit | saw Master Philip again;
he had big thing in h's hand looking
like pocket handkerchcfs street.-the |
over n frame. an saw that was
kite, an that they meant to send up n
string to me in thai way. But you
never in all your life saw such an I'M
manageable kite. First twas too
heavy, then twas too light, an then
the time they seemed 10 lose making Il
tail to steady it. | heard after that
part of that same tail was made of
bank notes Master Philip took out OF
his pocket when he could get nothing
else quick enough. He got them back
| later, for not Il man, woman or child
in the place would have touched one OF
them when they saw hun using them
in that way.
When the kite did 60 up at last, the
wind was SO high that they could not
manage it properly. Ii came very near
| me once, an | made Il snatch mt the
| string, nearly Ovor-reaching myself in
doing 50; but m SSel it, an Just then
there came terrible gust of wind, tho
string broke, an the kite WAS carried
away, an stuck fast in the branches OF
big tree behind the masters house.
| looked over at the clock to scc how
much time was left me, an found |
could not see the hands any longer; the
darkness had come on in tho last few
minutes. Then gave up all hope, for
| knew never cOull hold on till morn
ing. tired TO think of death, an to
make myself ready for it, but couldn't
not prayer nor good word could
| call to mind, only going over an
over again in my head the way 'twOuld
all happcn-how the people would 90
away one b. one, how I'd be left alone
in the darkness an the bowling wind
an how at last I'd not be able to hold
on any longer. an fall, an be found in
the morning all crushed out of shape.
The people below seemed to have given
up all thought of helping now, an were
standing gu tc quiet. Twas so dark
by this time | could not distinguish the
faces at all; | could just make out
Master Philip in his dark 81 t among
the VIII tc mill men, an poor Katie.
She was crouching down on the ground
now, her apron over her head. All of
4 sudden saw her leap up, with a
great cry, an clap her hands an call
out something. Then there was Il
confused sort of shout, rs if every one
in the crowd was saying the same
thing at the same time, an then Mast.
er Philip, making a sign to silence
them, put his two hands up to his
mouth an sang out in voice that
came up to me above the noise OF the
wind:
Take of your stocking and ravcl it;
the thread will reach the ground"
At first ] dldn' understand him, being
dazed Ike, but then the meaning camc
on me like message from heaven.
: got off on one of my socks with some
troublc-n;ce new ones they were, too
: of katie's own KIN ting. that she had
given me for Christmas box-an'
| with the help of my teeth | loosenet
t one end of the thread. 1t gave readil,
5 enough after that, an when | had I.
good piece of it ripped, tied my knife
: to make 1t heavy. an let it drop. rip
< ping more an more of the sock as i
!, went down. Then felt it stop, am
presently there came shout telling M
4 TO wind it up again. Very slowly an,
y carefully l did it, fearing the strn!
Q would break, an when the last bit O
1t came up, there was a piece of stron,
| Irvine tied In tho end pf IL Tho tuyi,,,